Two Lions And A Snape
by Whipper
Summary: Two parts Snape, one part Lupin and one part Black. Add a generous amount of snark and angst. Pour into a remote cottage. Serve cold. WiP, will not be finished. I'm sorry.
1. In Which They All Wallow In Misery

Disclaimers apply. The characters used in this story does not belong to me. Unfortunately. I'd love to keep Snape in my root-cellar! (Although admittedly not very damp, it's cold and underground so I think he would feel at home there ;))

This story has been beta'd by R. Rowlands and Amaroq Collins. (Thank you!) Attempts have also been made to brit-pick. There will still, undoubtedly, be a Flint or two to be found and I take full responsibility for those mistakes. Constructive criticism and feedback is, of course, welcome. Although as I'm currently writing on chapter 16 and have a rather strict outline that I try to keep to (my muse is wielding a rather impressive whip and she doesn't hesitate to use it when I stray from the outlined path) suggestions as how to change the plot --although, of course, appreciated-- will in all likelihood not be followed up upon. Sorry.

Happy reading! 

**TWO LIONS AND A SNAPE,  
written by Whipper**

**  
Chapter I:_ In Which They All Wallow In Misery_ **

Severus Snape. 

When Severus first had set foot at Hogwarts as an ugly little boy some twenty odd years ago he'd been told (by none other than Lucius Malfoy, Sixth Year Prefect and unchallenged ruler of their House) about the giant squid. Some of the other Slytherin first-years had suffered through horrible nightmares about the huge Architeuthis but Severus (at the time only really afraid of one thing) had found the creature more fascinating than frightening. 

That fascination combined with his skills in Potions (a subject in which Malfoy was almost as inept as Longbottom) and total lack of morals was what had endeared him to Malfoy who, for two wonderful, perfect years, took the little misfit under his protection. Those were undoubtedly the two best years of his life, Severus mused with a bitter smile. After Malfoy had left school there had been nothing to stop his arch-enemies, the Marauders, from humiliating and belittling him in front of the entire school. 

He wrapped his dark cloak tighter around himself, enjoying the warmth and familiarity the heavy fabric offered. As much as he appreciated the solitude that the roof of Hogwarts offered he had to admit it wasn't exactly 'warm and cosy', nor particularly well-protected against the odd burst of cold air. 

Far down, in the muddy water below him a long, spidery limb splashed impatiently. Severus leaned forward slightly to have a better look at the pale flesh of the creature that had intrigued him so when he was a child. 

He'd asked Hagrid about the squid once and the game-keeper had told him that he fed it every other week. As things were now with the half-giant in France with Madame Maxime it must have been a long time since it had last been given a proper meal. With a harsh, humorless chuckle Severus briefly wondered if it would enjoy a bony (doubtless more than a little sour-tasting) Potions Master. 

Not that he was offering. Oh no. He'd experienced quite enough pain in his life as it was, thank-you-very-much, and he didn't mean to end it all in the jaws of some Engorged monster dropped in the lake by a student a lifetime or two ago in some dunderheaded attempt at a 'practical joke'. 

Although he couldn't stop the thought of falling from flashing through his mind as he looked over the edge, almost hypnotised by it; it wouldn't be so bad to just... fall. Inching forward just a bit so that his toes kissed the edge of the roof he stared down into the dark water beneath him. He leaned forward slightly and with closed eyes he allowed himself to imagine just letting go. He wavered unsteadily as the emptiness beneath him sucked him even closer to the edge. 

"Severus?" 

The sound of a voice came so unexpectedly that he almost slipped. Only a surprisingly strong hand clamping down hard on his arm kept him from falling into the water where the hungry squid probably was waiting for him. 

_ Sorry, my friend... Another time perhaps._

"Severus, dear boy, what on Earth are you doing?" 

The Headmaster sounded more panicky than he had in all the years Severus had known the man and the Potion Master had to stifle a dark, slightly hysterical chuckle. 

"I was just thinking, sir." 

"Thinking?" It was a bit too dark to be certain but it almost looked as if Dumbledore frowned. "What abut? Merlin, boy, you almost fell to your death. If I hadn't been here-" 

"Nothing would have happened if you hadn't sneaked up on me, sir," he lied as he gave the man a guarded look, thankful for the protection that the dark and his too-long hair offered. 

"Is that so?" 

The look in Dumbledore's eyes was almost Slytherin and it promised trouble. 

Severus groaned. 

  
** Albus Dumbledore.**

His voice shook as he muttered the password to his chambers (_'Cotton Candy'_) . His legs shook as he fell rather than sat down in the soft, plush chair behind his desk. His hands shook as he hid his face in them, breathing harshly. 

Severus Snape had been a part of his life for... almost thirty years. 

First as a student among many others, perhaps slightly more in focus than most because of the many incidents with the Marauders. After he left Hogwarts the boy had been... not forgotten, but his existence had been placed in the back of Albus' mind, not really supposed to be brought out again unless the student was to return to Hogwarts as a father with new children for Albus to care for. He hadn't really expected that to happen though; Severus was a young man destined for greatness in the world of knowledge, not giddy romance and messy nappies. 

But Severus had returned to Hogwarts. Not as a father but as a very troubled young man. He hadn't been looking for salvation or to atone for his misdeeds (as many had assumed later) but more like a wounded animal returning to the one place it had felt safety before allowing itself to slip away and die. Albus, of course, had intervened. He'd never been one to give up on people. 

'Bright but misguided,' he had convinced the Ministry (the Aurors hadn't believed him, of course). 'Willing to spy on Voldemort.' Then, without asking Severus for permission, he'd added: 'Also willing to stay at Hogwarts teaching Potions for nothing but food to eat and a roof over his head.' They said yes after only a few hours of haggling the terms. Albus had never worried about the outcome. 

Hogwarts' Headmaster sighed sadly. 

He hadn't allowed Severus Snape to rot away in Azkaban or slip away unnoticed some fifteen years ago and he wasn't about to allow anything happened to him now either. 

_ 'I was just thinking, sir.' _

'Nothing would have happened if you hadn't sneaked up on me, sir.' 

Nothing would have happened, his foot! 

Something had to be done and it had to be done right away; that much was obvious. But what? 

Looking at his desk he spotted the letter young Harry had sent him two days earlier. He hadn't written a reply yet; things were busy at Hogwarts these days and the questions the boy had asked him deserved some good thinking through if he were to offer good answers. 

Picking it up gingerly he wondered if maybe, maybe somehow... 

  
**Sirius Black.**

It was an obsession really. A unsatisfactory, self-punishing kind of obsession. 

Looking into the mirror made him feel sick and slightly terrified. Yet every time he passed one he had to stare into it until something inside him broke with self-loathing. 

It wasn't that he was vain -- not really, not anymore -- but he kept expecting to see the face of his much younger self; his mind conveniently forgetting about more than ten years spent in nice, sunny Azkaban and, more recently, the two years (that, to be honest, felt much longer than his time in Azkaban) he'd been stuck in the Veil before the Order had finally managed to find a way to pull him out of limbo. 

The hollow face staring back at him defiantly from the mirror looked nothing like that of his young self and it made him disgusted with both himself and the rest of the world. He knew bloody well that it was wrong of him to feel that way, so he always did his best to keep up a happy front. 'A stiff upper lip,' if you wanted to be terribly British about it. 

Running a finger through thick, black hair, he considered a haircut. It was quite enough that he looked as emaciated as Snape (the-Greasy-Git); he didn't necessarily need to have the same unkept hairstyle. Maybe a new style would make him feel more human. 

Although, he mused with a small, unhappy smile, being human was of course highly over-rated. He much preferred his life as a canine. Dogs didn't have the same complicated spectrum of emotions as humans. They were (of course) occasionally sad but with enough distraction, like say a rabbit running over a field; everything was forgotten for the thrill of the chase. Without really thinking about it Sirius melted into his Animagus form. 

His tail waved around almost happily as he left the bathroom to find Moony. Somebody needed to have their ticklish feet licked. 

  
** Remus Lupin. **

In the 'Daily Prophet' you could still read about Harry Potter's fight against 'The Dark Lord Voldemort' (also known as Tom Marvolo Riddle, see pg. 14 for more shocking details about the Dark Lord's upbringing). There were also detailed descriptions of how other wizards and witches had helped in the 'War Against Evil'. There was even, Remus believed, a small feature about the 'Death Eater Turned Spy,' although Snape had apparently been unavailable for comments. (Very out of character for the man as far as Remus was concerned.) 

After having read every single, bloody article in every single, bloody newspaper every single, bloody day since Voldemort's defeat three months ago, Remus could with all certainty say that there had been no mentioning from anyone about the part that the werewolves had played. Not a single word about the seven werewolves who had died protecting the children at Hogwarts as Death Eaters had attacked the school. Not a word about the werewolf couple who -- along with their newborn daughter named Cilla -- had been killed after having refused to join Voldemort's band of 'merry followers'. 

There was, however, a rather large article in the end of 'The Sunday Prophet' about a werewolf who had escaped its imprisonment during the last full moon. The 'horrible beast' had killed one and infected two. There was a long interview with the dead man's relatives who demanded that 'the murdering creature' be put down. No mention of those infected or their fate though. 

Remus could feel the rage building up inside him and he had to force himself to relax. It was hard though; the unfairness of it all was eating him up inside. He found himself wanting to hurt and maim and for once he couldn't blame the wolf inside of him. 

Hearing a small sound (quickly identified by werewolf enhanced senses as soft paws against cold stone floor) he looked up and saw Padfoot trotting into the room. He forced a small smile as the huge dog walked up to him and began licking his hand with a pink, wet tongue. Patting the dog with his free hand he felt the ribs so very clearly. 

As he continued to pet the animal he wanted to ask his friend to please, just for once, come to him as Sirius instead of Padfoot. He needed to talk to someone who could reply with something else than "woff". He needed to not feel alone. To not feel like the soul survivor of the Marauders. To not feel like something that was registered at the 'Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures'. He needed to talk to someone about being a Creature rather than a man. 

But he didn't say anything, just kept smiling and patting the thin dog. 

As the Muggle saying went: 'The show must go on.' 

  
** Harry Potter. **

To say that he was worried would be an understatement. He was afraid. Distressed. Upset. Panicky. Troubled. Weary. Seriously concerned. Horribly sick of feeling that way. And in serious need of a good thesaurus. 

And why hadn't Dumbledore answered him yet? It was several days (well, three at least) since he'd written to the man and although Hedwig had returned the same day it had been sans any comforting messages. 

Harry sighed. He really needed some advice from his old Headmaster. 

It was strange; for years he'd thought that if only Voldemort would just die already his life would become so much easier. He wouldn't have to worry about his friends or family (Sirius and Remus; he was obviously not talking about the Dursleys) and life would be great. Normal even. 

Well, he couldn't blame himself for not knowing better. Before, while living with the Dursleys, he'd never had any friends or family to care about and ever since he'd come to Hogwarts he'd had to worry about Voldemort. There was no way he could have known that even with Voldemort and most of the Death Eaters gone there would still be reasons to worry just as much about those he loved. 

Even more in some cases, as it became apparent that the defeat of 'evil' hadn't fixed everything that he, for the above reasons, had been convinced it would. 

Hermione was fine; she'd left Hogwarts with more OWLs and NEWTs than anyone had for almost two hundred years. She was going to apply to the best magical schools in order to continue her education come autumn. This summer was dedicated to reading a few courses in the Muggle world. 

Ron and the Weasley family were mostly fine as well. The loss of Percy had affected them badly but in different ways. The twins hadn't changed much on the outside but Ron told him that they had become even more dependent on each other. You never saw Fred without George or George without Fred. Ginny was slightly more quiet than usual and there was a sad look in her eyes that never seemed to completely go away. Bill and Charlie had returned to England during the last months of the war and hadn't left the Burrow yet. Mr Weasley was even busier than usual and had still to comment on the grey in Mrs Weasley's hair. Ron seemed fine most of the time but Harry had noticed that he never mentioned his dead brother. 

It was Sirius and Remus who worried Harry the most though. It wasn't a recent thing and Harry supposed that in a way he'd always known that something was wrong (wrong enough that it needed to be fixed) but, as with so many other things, he'd just assumed that it would fix itself after Voldemort had gone. 

It was becoming increasingly obvious that Sirius and Remus' problems wouldn't go away by themselves though. The haunted look in his godfather's eyes was still there and he hadn't even begun to regain the weight he'd lost after his time in the Veil. Remus looked so exhausted most of the time that Harry felt weak just looking at him. And the worst part was that the two men, who had been friends for such a long time, obviously were driving each other nuts. Each time Harry set foot at Sirius' place the werewolf and his godfather had been fighting over something and for each time the arguments got a little bit worse. 

Which was why he had written to Dumbledore. 

Now if only the Headmaster would write him back... 

_ 'Chapter Two' will be up in a week or so, it all depends on how quickly my slaves _(_I think the PC term is beta-readers! _;))_ are able to beta what with New Year's Eve coming up and everything._


	2. In Which We Learn About Dumbledore’s Mad...

**Chapter II:_ In Which We Learn About Dumbledore's Mad Slytherin Plan_ **

Severus Snape. 

He sipped his tea slowly, careful not to gulp the hot liquid. It would be rude, unrefined. So very un-Snapish. For a moment his mind wandered to his mother and he froze in his chair. Thankfully the memory disappeared as quickly as it had come and he re-focused his attention to more urgent matters. 

Like his ongoing, slightly one-sided conversation with Hogwarts' Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. One-sided because the man kept offering him sweets and he kept saying 'no'. He had already accepted a cup of disgustingly sweet strawberry tea. Surely that should be enough? 

"Are you sure you don't want a lemon drop, Severus?" 

Severus. Not Professor Snape. Not 'dear boy'. And a good thing that was. If the Headmaster had called him that again he was afraid he would have screamed out loud. A loud, shrill scream without words because, after all, he thought angrily, there was very little he had to say that Dumbledore didn't already know. That was the downside of having been taught Legilimency by the best. The old Hogwarts Headmaster had spent more time inside of Severus Snape's head than Severus Snape was at all comfortable with. 

He turned the teacup in his hands, enjoying the warmth that it spread in his stiff, cold fingers while fighting the urge to just throw the tiny piece of china at something. Or someone. Not at all advisable and it would hardly turn out to be satisfying either as Dumbledore in all likelihood would just clean up the mess with a small twinkle in his eyes and a warm smile on his lips. _Stupid, stupid, annoying, half-senile old man. _

Severus frowned darkly at the beaming wizard. 

Blue eyes kindly gazing at him should make him feel special of course. Sitting here in the Headmaster's office, having the full attention of the man who was even more of a legend now that the Dark Lord was defeated should definitely make him feel flattered. He didn't feel special or flattered though. 

Just very unlucky. 

"Yes, sir." He waved away the small silver bowl with sweets that came floating in his direction. "Quite sure." 

His voice was crisp, but not necessarily rude. Or a least he hoped it wasn't. It had become increasingly harder for him to tell the past few years. Hard to know what and who he was, where he was... Hard to keep his different selves apart. 

Not that anyone had noticed, he mused bitterly. As far as they were concerned, this was how he had always been. But then again, he thought as he stared at the Headmaster's hands (he knew better than to look into those soul-piercing eyes even though it had been a long time since he had mastered Occlumency), nobody really knew him to begin with. 

"A muffin then? Or a scone? They're quite delicious, I assure you. The house-elves have, as usual, outdone themselves. Amazing little creatures. And such a wonderful sense of fashion! I've never seen anything quite like it before." 

"Few people have." 

The Headmaster chuckled, a warm and soothing noise that made Severus feel safe and... wanted. Staring into his cup, he found himself suddenly thinking that he'd like nothing more than to just stay in the Headmaster's office forever. Grow roots and then maybe, if given enough love and water, he would sprout little flowers. Or sweet little berries. Albus would like that. Berries, that was - not having his Potions Master as a permanent ornament in his office. He probably wouldn't like that at all. Very inconvenient and at times probably quite embarrassing. 

(How inane. Add an s and then were would it leave him? In a padded room at St. Mungo's.) 

_ 'Never mind Professor Snape, he's been in here ever since the weeks after Voldemort's defeat. He was always a bit strange but he had his uses during the war. And well, to be quite honest, these berries... I've never tasted anything so delicious before. You should try one! Really-' _

His empty stomach turned a little at the though of Dumbledore calling anything regarding him 'delicious' and he gave the cup in his hands a suspicious glare. Had Albus added something to make him more... docile? The last word came out in a mental sneer. He wouldn't put it beyond the man. 

He sniffed the liquid and took a small sip, swirling it around in his mouth slowly searching for a taste of _something wrong _but not finding anything that was out of place. Still... 'better safe than sorry' and he quickly decided not to drink anymore of his tea. 

"We all have reasons to indulge," Albus told him with a warm smile. "Young Potter has, after all, made sure that we will be able to see several more generations of little wizards and witches grow up here at Hogwarts. He's quite a hero." 

"That seems to be the common opinion, yes." 

He knew Dumbledore expected him to (and, if he had read the old man right, maybe even wanted him to) have something to say on the subject of 'young Potter - the Boy who Lived to Defeat the Dark Lord - hero of the wizarding world' but he was in no mood to rant even though he knew that it was out of character for him. Ranting required energy and that was something he had preciously little of these days. 

"Well then, how about a chocolate frog?" 

Perhaps it wasn't at all surprising that Severus Snape had nightmares about being stuck in the Headmaster's office, being offered sweets all night long with no chance to refuse. 

"No, thank you." 

With a small nod Albus quickly put the offered piece of sweet into his own mouth instead and began chewing slowly; he then proceeded to clean from his fingers all traces of chocolate with his tongue. It was a quite disgusting display and Severus was sure that he'd never done anything like that, not even as a child. His mother certainly wouldn't have approved. (_Why_ did he keep thinking about his mother?) 

"I suppose I can't force you," Albus muttered with a finger in his mouth, sucking off the very last of the chocolate. 

But the way the Headmaster's looked at him quite openly implied that he very well could have if he had just wanted to badly enough. As usual, Severus saw no reason to doubt that. He'd replaced one master with another and he would have been a fool to chose one less powerful than Voldemort. And, despite the evidence pointing in the other direction, he hadn't been quite _that_ foolish a young man. 

"I'm sure there's a reason -- other than offering me sweets -- for you to summon me to your office, sir?" 

"Yes... yes... of course." Another warm, hearty smile. Severus was quickly getting sick of those. "I was going to ask you about the other night." 

"The other night, sir?" 

_ 'This is dangerous territory',_ a cold voice in the back of his head informed him. It sounded very much like Malfoy (the older one obviously; although he was a terrible nuisance at times, Draco didn't really merit an appearance in Severus' head). Severus snorted mentally as he replied:_ 'As if I didn't already know that'_. Then he berated himself for speaking with the voices in his head. 

_ 'My inner eye sees a room in your future... a white, white room with strange, soft walls... men and women in white... medi-wizards perhaps? Mmmm...'_

Albus' warm voice interrupted his thoughts; something that made Severus quite grateful. It was quite enough to have the voice of a dead man invade his mind; he didn't need that crazy bint Sibyll to make appearances as well. 

"When you were up on the roof.... I'm sure you remember? Unless you were walking in your sleep, of course? In which case I think we had better take this conversation to Poppy." 

A chuckle followed the last statement and Severus forced a small twitch in his lips that he hoped, with a bit of good grace, could be interpreted as a smile. 

"Well," the Headmaster continued, "I was just wondering what in the name of Merlin you were doing out such a cold, horrible night?" 

Albus spoke with patience and the kind twinkle was still in his eyes. He looked so much like a sweet, harmless old man that Severus had to remind himself that he was talking to one of the most dangerous wizards in the world. Maybe even the most dangerous one now that the Dark Lord was dead. (Potter didn't count; he might be strong but that brat most certainly wasn't wise or powerful.) 

"As I said, sir, I needed to think." 

"I do that sometimes too," the Headmaster mused as he put another chocolate frog into his mouth. The old wizard turned the card and looked delighted as he saw the picture of himself. "Sneak out for a bit of fresh air when I need to think about something important, I mean. It's much easier that way, don't you agree? I once though that maybe if we had our lessons outdoors- But that's not what I asked you here to talk about. I was wondering if perhaps you'd like to share your thoughts with me?" 

_ NO!_

"Why would I like to do that?" 

Severus felt proud that his voice was still calm. It was strange though; he had never had any problems keeping his calm when working as a spy but when at Hogwarts, he kept losing control over the most ridiculous things. 

He'd asked the Headmaster about that once and Albus had said that he hoped that it was because Severus felt more safe at Hogwarts than he did at the Death Eater meetings. Which, of course, was true in a way. But that didn't explain why he always exploded while dealing with that bastard Black. Needless to say, he did not feel safe around that Gryffindor psychopath. 

"Well, you know what they say..." Albus seemed to be choosing his words with just as much care as Severus. "Talking about things makes them easier to bear." 

"That implies that the owner of the thoughts wishes his burden to be easier." 

Voice still steady and calm. His heart was beating hard though and his stomach was in an uproar. Just as well that he'd had the tea, that way at least there would be something to upchuck other than bile as soon as he had left Dumbledore's office. 

"And you don't?" 

The old man looked at him sadly. Severus frowned, refusing to feel guilty for wanting to keep his private thoughts _private._

"No, not really." 

Albus sighed and stared unhappily at Fawkes. The phoenix was looking awful again and Severus half expected it to explode into ashes any minute. He felt envious of the bird's ability to die and be reborn. He'd give anything for another chance at life. It was a bit too late now though and a Slytherin didn't waste time hoping for something that would never happen. 

"Sure you don't want a lemon drop?" Without giving him a chance to refuse, Albus sighed again and the sad eyes turned on the Potions Master. "I have to say, Severus, I am very worried about you." 

Déjà vu. 

_ 'Severus, I am very worried about you.'_

A short, too-thin eleven year old was sitting in the Headmaster's office after having slipped Sirius Black and James Potter some Sleep-Be-Gone. They had only gone sleepless for a few nights but the look on Dumbledore's face had still been somber. Detention and twenty points from Slytherin. It hadn't made Severus very popular in his House and he'd slept with his hand on his wand for weeks. __

'Severus, I am very worried about you.' 

A young man, not so short anymore but still too-thin, was staring at Dumbledore's desk as he, once again, was lectured after having hexed Black and Potter. No points had been taken from Slytherin this time though, probably because it had happened so soon after the Whomping Willow Incident. But he had been given detention with Filch and the caretaker had made him scrub the floors in the Slytherin common room without magic. It had taken almost three hours if he remembered correctly and a handful of Slytherins had been watching him the entire time, laughing so badly that they almost soiled themselves. __

'Severus, I am very worried about you.' 

No longer a student and with the mark of death on his arm he had returned to the one place he had never thought he'd see again. Albus Dumbledore's office. He hadn't been scolded and no real punishment had been given even though he had begged for it. 

Now he thought that maybe that had been his punishment. 

_'Severus, I am very worried about you.'_

"You shouldn't be," he answered after a too-long silence. 

"No?" 

**Albus Dumbledore.**

Albus wanted nothing more than to actually believe his friend. But he knew Severus too well, knew how that brilliant but oh-so-damaged mind worked. 

"I hope you're right about that," he replied. "But I would like to think that I, after all this time, know you quite well and it's _obvious_ that there are reasons to worry. To say that you're exhausted would be an understatement. There is no shame in admitting that you're finding it hard to return to what most of us think of as 'normal life', Severus. In fact I'm not at all surprised, seeing as how 'normal' for you has been quite schizophrenic for the past years. Which is why I have a proposal for you, my friend." 

A raised eyebrow and a small, hardly noticeable, twitch as the Potions Master leaned forward. He'd caught the man's attention, at least. 

"A proposal? Pray tell, is it the kind of proposal where I am given the right to say no if I do not wish to participate in, what I am sure, will be another of your mad schemes? Or should I just prepare myself to go along with whatever it is you're planning?" 

"You always have a choice," he rebuked as gently as possible. 

"Of course," Severus drawled. 

The smile on the thin lips was ironic at best and Albus felt a pang of guilt, knowing very well that Severus didn't believe him. Nor had he much reason to. He quickly pushed away the unwanted feeling; there had been no time for such things during the war and regrets wouldn't help his friend now. 

"As you know there will be no students at Hogwarts this year," he began his carefully constructed speech. "It is most unfortunate, as I am sure we all would benefit from returning to our old routines as soon as possible. However, I'm afraid it would be very unwise to have the children here during the rebuilding. Just imagine what could happen: students walking into a room that doesn't exist yet or becoming trapped in the walls as they rebuild. It has happened before, you know. Never at Hogwarts, of course. But still... no. They will all have to wait another year until Hogwarts has returned to its former glory." 

"I had suspected as much. I assume the students will either be home-schooled or attend the village schools?" 

Albus smiled, as always pleased for any small sign that Severus actually cared for his students. Not that he ever doubted it himself. Granted, Severus wasn't a very good teacher (he obviously didn't have the patience for it), but he was actually a great Head of Slytherin. There was little he didn't know about 'his' children and little the children wouldn't come to him with. Severus understood the Slytherins and their problems in ways Albus had to admit he couldn't even begin to fathom. 

"Yes, unfortunately there don't seem to be any other options," he continued. "Most unwanted. But much less so than more deaths... That is after all the last thing we need these days." 

Severus became a fraction of a shade paler and Albus sighed. Combined with what he already knew about his friend, that was really all the confirmation he needed. He could be wrong of course (although he strongly doubted it), but 'better safe than sorry', right? 

"Well, back to my proposition," he said, feeling more tired than he had in months. And that was saying a lot considering the situation. "Do you remember my cottage?" 

A slow blink, then... 

"Of course I do." 

"Good." He waited until Severus met his eyes before he continued. "To be frank with you, Severus, I think you need some time off. Time away from all that's been happening. And I think now would be the best time to do so. No offense, dear boy, but what we need to restore Hogwarts is people who are skilled at Transfiguration. And that was never your specialty." 

For a moment the man looked if as he were about to scream and Albus frowned mentally, wondering what he'd said wrong. The comment about his Transformations skills perhaps? 

"You're an excellent Potions Master, the best in the country and most certainly among the best in Europe," he added quickly in an attempt to soothe the man's hurt pride. "But the only potions needed right now are simple pain-stillers and perhaps some dreamless draught and Poppy is more than capable of brewing those." 

Severus cleared his throat with a slightly sour frown but didn't say anything; he just looked at him for a long time before returning his attention to the now-cold tea. He didn't drink it though, just glared at it as if the cold beverage had somehow offended him. 

"You're sending me away to your cottage?" he finally asked. 

"Oh, no! I'm not sending you away. I would never send you away, my friend. I am simply offering you a chance to get away from here for a few months until the worst of the re-building is over with. And I just thought that maybe my cottage could be an acceptable location... You certainly seemed to enjoy being there the last time you visited." 

"Your cottage is... rather unique, of course." 

"Yes, it is, isn't it?" He smiled dreamily as he thought about the small house that his great Aunt Agda had left him. It was such an amazing little house. He was almost as fond of it as he was of Hogwarts. "I really wish I could come with you. Although I suppose there won't really be room for one more person." 

Black, suspicious eyes suddenly refocused on him. 

"I take it I'm not to be the only guest at your cottage, Albus?" 

Albus - not sir. That should make him feel better, he supposed. Some of the cold distance was gone. But he knew that if he was very unlucky, it'd be back in just a few moments. Well, what was it his mother had always said? 'It'll get worse before it gets better'? 

"No. I don't really think spending several months alone would benefit you at all. You need other people around you, Severus. Nobody does well on his own." 

The look on Severus' face made perfectly clear how much he disagreed with that. But he didn't say anything about it, which was one of the things that worried Albus so much. He'd learned early on that a quiet Potions Master (although much easier to handle than a spitting, angry Potions Master) was an unwell Potions Master. 

"It's a very small cottage," Severus pointed out in a too-calm voice. 

"There are two bedrooms." 

"So there will be one other person with me in the cottage?" 

Something in the way he said it suggested that the poor person who would have to share the small house with him should be pitied. 

"No," he answered, reaching down to lay a hand on his wand. Just in case. "There will be two other persons. The master bedroom can easily hold two." 

"A couple?" Severus frowned. "You're sending me away to live in the cottage with a couple? Really, Albus, that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. With the exception of perhaps everything I've ever heard come out of young Longbottom's mouth. What makes you think that-" 

"Not a couple," he quickly interrupted. "Just two very good friends that in all likelihood will be just fine with sharing a room. I haven't actually invited them yet but I am sure that they'll be happy to spend some time away from London." 

Severus didn't seem to pay attention to the last sentence, instead focusing on what he'd said first. 

"Two good friends?" 

"You know them quite well." 

"I'm not in the mood for guessing games, Albus," the black-clad man snapped. 

"The other guests will be Remus Lupin and Siri-" 

The tea cup made a terrified sound as it was slammed down on the desk. 

"No!" 

The look on Severus' face was quite horrible. Pale cheeks were suddenly flushed red and dark eyes that were already too big for the thin face became even larger. His hands as he clenched the chair's arms were white-knuckled and trembling. 

"Severus-" 

"_No!_ You don't... you can't... I won't!" Severus took a deep breath and regained some of his eloquence. "A werewolf and someone who's tried to kill me more than once! Living with me! In your cottage! Is that your idea of how to get me to relax?!" 

Well, Albus thought with mental sigh as he wiped away some spit from his face, Severus was still there hidden beneath the cold facade. That was good to know. 

"Severus-" 

"No!" 

"Severus-" 

"_No._ You said I had a choice." 

The two men looked at each other for several minutes until Albus finally forced himself to realise that there would be no further ranting, yelling or screaming from his friend. He let go of the wand in his pocket and released the breath he'd been holding. 

"You do," he answered quietly. "Your current one is between the cottage and the infirmary." 

"The infirmary? Why?" 

"Do you really need me to explain about my fears?" 

"Why not just dump me at St. Mungo's while you're at it," Severus muttered under his breath, the horrible look still on his face. 

"Do you think I should send you there?" Albus quickly asked. 

"No! And I don't need you to explain _anything_." 

And thus ended that conversation. 

*** 

Severus stormed back to his rooms where he stayed for two whole days. The house-elves who reported to Dumbledore told the Headmaster that the much feared Professor had thrown an awful tantrum after he'd returned to his chambers, but that he'd calmed down quickly and, as far as they knew, he'd done little more since than to stare at the fire in his room and refuse meals. 

Dumbledore hadn't expected anything else but it was still with a heavy heart that he owled Harry for the fourth time in as many days. The boy had proved to be very good at 'scheming', something that didn't really surprise given that he'd spent a big part of his young life working against an enemy such as Voldemort. 

--- 

**cheeky-bear007:** Thank you very much and an extra hard hug to you for being the first reviewer! 

**Lilith11:** Thank you for the kind words! You're quite right about it being a rather unoriginal plot and, to tell the truth, I hestiated for a long time before finally deciding to write a _long_ story based on the rather shaky 'Remote Cottage Theory'. I've spent three months on it though, doing my best to avoid the most obvious traps and to add interesting twists. I just hope it will work out as planned and that you will stay with me to the end! 

**Maglor** and **loovgo:** Thank you to both of you :) I'll be posting new chapters ASAP! 


	3. Which Is Really Just A Repeat of Dumbled...

_Please go to Chapter One for story info and disclaimer._

** Chapter III: _Which Is Really Just A Repeat of Dumbledore's Mad Slytherin Plan Although This Time It's Staring Potter (the younger), Lupin And Black_ **

Harry Potter. 

Harry re-read the Headmaster's fourth letter for what felt like the thousandth time. The wording hadn't changed even the slightest bit and there was no way he had misinterpreted what the old wizard was saying. 

He knew of the plan, of course. The plan was (although admittedly insane) very simple. Snape, Sirius and Remus. Together. In a Cottage. To recuperate. What was shocking was that Snape (_'Professor Snape, Harry!'_) had agreed. 

He wasn't quite sure if he wanted to know how Dumbledore had managed that. However, if he had learned something these past few years it was that Dumbledore _knew_ people. The Headmaster wasn't all-knowing (as Harry had sometimes thought during his first years at Hogwarts) and he most certainly wasn't always right. But he _knew_ people. 

Repeating that to himself as a mantra, Harry tried to come up with a plan to convince Sirius and Remus that they really wanted to spend the next few months with Professor Snape. 

Needless to say, defeating Voldemort was beginning to feel like a piece of cake. 

*** 

"I'm not talking to you." 

"Good," Remus snapped and gave Harry's godfather an uncharacteristically hard glare. "Because I'm not talking to you either." 

"Fine!" 

"Fine!" 

The door slammed behind Sirius as the man marched out of the living-room. His angry stomps could be heard for a few seconds before another door (presumably to the library) slammed shut with a loud _bang_. 

"That went well," the werewolf said with an apologetic smile as he slumped down in the chair next to Harry's. "I'm sorry, Harry. I knew you came here to see him." 

"I came here to see you too! I've missed both of you!" 

"We've missed you too," Remus promised. "Would you like to have something to drink?" 

Harry glanced at his former Professor. The man looked tired, although not quite as exhausted as he had a few days ago. But still tired enough to be gauging the distance to the bar with weary eyes, almost as if he wasn't sure that he'd make it there. Quickly calculating the days left until the next full moon, Harry sighed. Almost two weeks left so the tiredness couldn't possibly be werewolf-related. 

Harry sighed again. Dumbledore was right. As much as he'd miss his little family, the two men really needed time off to rebuild their strength. Better that than for them to need to rebuild their friendship in a few months. 

"Nah... I only like butterbeer. Drinking isn't really my vice." He smiled at the older man who managed a small grin in return. "How are you doing?" 

"Better than Sirius. You heard him: 'I'm not talking to you.' Imagine that!" Remus snorted. "What that man really needs is a nap." 

"You weren't much better," Harry pointed out carefully. "Maybe you both need some sleep?" 

The werewolf looked a bit sheepish for a moment before chuckling quietly. 

"I suppose you're right. But," Remus said, and his face became serious again, "don't worry about us, all right? We're old enough to take care of ourselves. All you should worry about is how to get on with your life now that you're free of the prophecy." 

"Oh, I have plans," Harry said, and he could feel himself grinning like a fool at the thoughts. He couldn't help it though; it felt so good to be _free_. No more Voldemort. There was, of course, the 'hero' thing to deal with, but he was sure that would pass with time. And if Remus and Sirius would just get better, he saw no reason why he wouldn't end up the 'Boy Who Lived Happily Ever After'. "They're sorta secret for now, though." 

"Do they include girls and Quidditch?" 

"That would be telling," Harry told him, and smiled again. "What about you and Sirius? Do you have plans?" 

"We try to concentrate on not killing each other." Remus sighed a little and looked down on his hands, looking heart-breakingly sad. "I'm thinking that maybe it would be better if I moved out from here. I have some money saved and I'm thinking about maybe going south...." 

"To get away from Sirius?" 

The question was out before Harry had time to consider whether or not it was an appropriate thing to ask. Even if both Sirius and Remus treated him more like a friend than anything else, the fact remained that the two other men were adults while he was still just a minor. But the werewolf had shocked him; what if he was too late? 

"No... not really. Just get away from people in general. I'm afraid I've always been a bit of a loner..." Remus must have sensed Harry's emotions and he quickly added, "I'd still be in touch with you. James was like a brother to me, Harry... that makes you family too." 

"Part of the pack?" Harry suggested, teasingly gently. 

"Yes. Absolutely. I don't have much of a pack anymore, though. Just you and Sirius." 

Neither of them mentioned that not too long ago, while Sirius had been trapped in the Veil, the pack had consisted of only him and Harry. It wasn't something that either of them wanted to remember. 

"I have a proposition," Harry said hurriedly, afraid that he'd never get the words out otherwise. "For you and Sirius." 

"A proposition?" Remus looked amused. "That sounds... exciting. But maybe it can wait for a few hours until Sirius has had a chance to cool down?" 

"Well, actually I'd like to talk to you about it first." 

"All right. Just let me pour a drink first? Sure you don't want something?" 

As Harry shook his head the werewolf stood up and slowly went over to the small bar. He was dressed in a shabby old coat but the shirt was new and for once the trousers weren't quite worn through. The grey-brown hair didn't seem to have been in contact with a comb for a long time though, and he'd noticed earlier that the nails were bitten down to almost non-existence. 

Harry sighed, hoping that Remus and Sirius would go along with Dumbledore's plans. It became more and more apparent that they really needed some time to find themselves again. Picking at his sleeve he just wished that the old wizard could have sent Snape somewhere else. If it weren't for his old Potions Professor there would be no need for anyone to _convince_ his father's friends to go to Dumbledore's cottage. 

But if Dumbledore thought it was for the best then he was probably right. After all, the old wizard usually was. _Not always though,_ a voice in the back of his head whispered. Harry ignored it, not at all very eager to think about what had happened during his fifth year. 

"So..." Remus smiled at him over his drink. "Tell me about your proposition?" 

"Well, first of all, it's not really my proposition. It's Dumbledore's. But he asked me to talk to you because he'd be busy... talking to someone else." 

"Someone else?" 

"Uhm... yes..." 

Avoiding the man's eyes, Harry said the name in such a low voice that no human ears could have heard. Werewolf ears picked up the muttered name easily though, and Remus looked at him with surprise. 

"Snape?" 

"Well..." Harry took a deep breath before blurting it all out. "Dumbledore has a really nice cottage that's out in the middle of nowhere and he thinks that you all need to take a break from what's happening so he said that you can go there for a few months until you feel better." 

The two men sat in silence for a long time, Harry well aware that he should have said it in some other way -- any other way, really -- and wondering what Remus was thinking as the older man nursed his drink. It was Remus who after about a quarter of an hour finally said something. 

"'Us all' being me, Sirius and... Snape?" 

"Yes." 

"Oh. Well, I can see why you wanted to talk to me first." 

"Sirius would have exploded," Harry agreed nervously, worried about how calm Remus seemed. "I was thinking that maybe..." 

"If you convinced me first I'd talk to Sirius for you." 

"Yes. Yes, I'm sorry." After a few moments of silence, he look up from his hands and added a quiet: "Was I wrong?" 

"Yes." 

Harry sighed and was just about to apologise _again_ when Remus gave him a small smile and a sly wink. 

"You're still going to have to be here when we tell Sirius about our new holiday plans." 

**Sirius Black.**

Only Dumbledore, he thought with a frown. Only Dumbledore would ever, ever come up with something so incredibly... _stupid_. The day that old fool went senile nobody was going to notice for at least twenty years. Or, Sirius snickered at the thought, maybe the Headmaster had just finally had enough of Snape and wanted him killed. Now _that_ was something he could sympathise with. 

As he packed his belongings he thought about his conversation with Moony and Harry. It had taken a lot; emotional blackmail (both from Harry and Moony), direct threats (mostly Moony), a bit of pouting (mostly Harry) and a stern talking to from Dumbledore to make him agree to go. No amount of talking could get him to promise not to turn old Snivellus to a slug at the first sign of lip, though. 

Nor could it stop him from sulking. 

"Mooonny," he called out loud enough to be heard in the room next to his. "Did you take my left shoe?" 

"It's in the living-room," the other man called back, and even though Sirius couldn't see him he knew that his old friend was rolling his eyes. 

"What is my shoe doing in the living-room?" 

He perfectly well knew why, of course; he just wanted to tease Moony into smiling. His friend was being way too somber these days. That was, he acknowledged to himself, the real reason why he was going. Moony needed to get away from all of this and if his only remaining friend needed something, then Sirius was going to make damn sure that he got it. And there was, obviously, no way he was ever going to let Moony spend several months alone with Snape-The-Slytherin-Snake. 

"Because you threw it at me," came the answer. "You stupid prick." 

"Now really, Moony, why would I throw my shoes at you?" 

"Because you're a demented thirty-seven year old brat? Or maybe your mother dropped you on your head when you were little!" 

"Wouldn't surprise me if she had," Sirius agreed loudly with a half-amused, half-bitter smile -- bitter because it wouldn't at all surprise him if his mother had indeed dropped (or thrown perhaps?) him on his head as a kid and amused because it wasn't that often he got quiet ol' Moony to shoot obscenities. Even though 'prick' was a bit sad as obscenities went. 

The portrait of Frau Black obviously had a lot to say in response to the accusations (well, truth to be told, there weren't that many subjects she _didn't_ have a lot of opinions on) and for the next twenty minutes Sirius amused himself by listening to his mother's awful screaming. It made him feel... well, not normal, but with a surprised laugh he realised that he enjoyed the familiarity of it all. 

"Care to share the joke?" a warm voice asked from the door, and he turned around to give Moony a happy smile. His old friend looked happier than he had for weeks and Sirius quietly accepted that he was making the right choice. The constant fighting between the two of them had been wearing Moony down. Admittedly, he didn't enjoy them much either. But he wasn't even half as sensitive as Remus and didn't take the arguments to heart the same way. 

"Just enjoying my dysfunctional family," he said with a wide grin, earning a small chuckle from the werewolf. 

"I hope that doesn't mean we have to bring _her_ with us?" 

"Only if we put her in Snape's bedroom," he replied quickly, his grin growing wider. "I bet they could have some fascinating conversations. He's always reminded me of her. Bigoted _and_ prone to screaming fits." 

"She knows he's a traitor to the Cause," Moony pointed out as he returned the shoe that had been thrown after him earlier. Sirius accepted it with a bright smile. "Which means that she in all likelihood is more fond of me than him by now." 

"You're probably right," Sirius agreed as he pulled on his shoes. "Soo... have you packed everything?" 

"Oh, yes. I have everything I need. Except the Wolfsbane Potion, of course. But I'm sorta hoping that Severus will bring that." 

Sirius sat up so fast that the world began to spin. He stared at his friend until the large blots became smaller and his vision returned to normal. 

"_Severus_?" 

His voice sounded funny even to himself. 

"Well," Moony said with a shrug, "we're going to live in the same house for weeks, possibly months... We can't very well continue to call him just Snape, now can we?" 

"We lived in the same castle as him for seven years," Sirius quickly protested, "and we didn't have any problems calling him Snape then, now did we? If you need to be more familiar with the git, use Snivellus! That's bound to make him listen." 

"Sirius!" He broke eye contact first and Moony continued as if he hadn't said a word. "I don't think that's the same thing. But you don't have to call him Severus unless you want to, Sirius. I will though." 

"If he lets you." 

He had a hard time imagining Snape letting them call him by his first name. (Or Snape calling them by their first names.) He had an even harder time imagining living with him for months. It's for Moony, he reminded himself. You can do that for your best friend. Your only friend. Only friend that's alive, anyway. 

"He'll let me," Moony stated with a determined look in his eyes. 

That was maybe the first time Sirius felt really sorry for Severus Snape. 

--- 

**duj**, **Aerhiana** and **faith5bye5**: Thank you for your comments! You have no idea how happy you make me when you tell me that I've managed to keep Snape and Dumbledore in-character! I was a bit worried about a few scenes but now I'm slowly becoming convinced that they actually worked out quite well! :) And I'll try to update once a week. 

**tall oaks**: Thank you so much for the detailed feedback! I just hope my take on Sirius and Remus's friendship didn't end up disappointing you -- I admit I was having a bit of problem getting them to sound right. As for why Albus thought Snape would agree to live with Sirius and Remus, well... he (Dumbledore) wasn't about to give him an option, it was either that or the infirmary. 

**samson**: Well, remember when I said "it's going to get worse before it gets better"? ;) Consider that a clue as for how Snape is going to be feeling for the next... um... well, I'm writing on Chapter 17 right now and he's still not happy. Hard to please that one! :) God knows if he'll be happy in the end of the fic. Somehow I doubt I could write a convincing happy!Snape. But hopefully he'll be content at least :) 

**Lilith11**: I'm so glad you liked Snape's inner monologues! A few of those were a bit tricky to write. :) And I know what you mean about having English as your second language. I'm from Sweden myself and I always feel that I could write everything so much better in my native language! :) And -- before I forget about it -- thanks for recommending my story to someone else! *hugs* Especially since it's a WiP! 

_The next installment isn't actually a chapter as much as a short interlude. The main characters are Black and Lupin (yes, again) but Snape's mentioned a few times as well. The next real chapter is Snape-centric though, so there's no need to look at me that way, people! :) _

I hope this chapter didn't disappoint! Yeah, the shoe-fight was kind of... pointless. But still. I hope it didn't disappoint too _much._


	4. Interlude I: In Which We First Encounter...

_Please go to Chapter One for story info and disclaimers._

**Interlude I:_ In Which We First Encounter Aunt Agda And See Her Cottage_ **

Sirius Black. 

He and Moony Flooed to Dumbledore's cottage. Sirius would rather have Apparated as he, just as his godson, wasn't too fond of Flooing but all it took to convince him that they'd better save their strength was a quick look at Remus' tired face. 

As the two friends stepped out of the fireplace and glanced around in the lounge not even the nausea that, for him, always accompanied Floo traveling could keep him from laughing out loud. 

The room was... cluttered, to say the least. Paintings and huge shelves covered the walls and strange, but undoubtedly fascinating, items filled the shelves. Thick books, a huge fireplace and heavy oak furniture completed the picture. The obsession with strange, colourful objects had to either run in the family or the Headmaster must have re-decorated the cottage to fit his... slightly more eccentric style. 

Remus seemed to be thinking the same thing as he chuckled softly to himself at the same time as one thin hand reached out to pet a Gryffindor-red sofa. The werewolf then leaned forward a little to have a better lock at a small, shiny stone that was laying on a sturdy table. 

"Do you want to know what I think?" Moony finally asked with a small grin as he turned the shiny rock over in his hands. When Sirius nodded his friend continued, "I think that Dumbledore's Animagus form just might be a magpie." 

"A magpie?" 

"They're famous for stealing bright coloured objects and collecting them in their nests. When I was little I once climbed up this tree where a magpie lived just to see if it was true. The nest was full with blue things; ribbons, toys, somebody's bracelet." Remus smiled a little apologetically. "I'm not saying that I think Dumbledore's a thief, just that he's-" 

"A bit too fond of his toys," someone said calmly behind them. 

The two of them turned around quickly and found themselves face to face with the large painting that hung above the fireplace. A stern-looking old woman with her white hair in a loose bun was looking at them with curious eyes. 

"What are you two gentlemen doing here? And how do you know my nephew?" 

"Your what-?" 

But Remus had already caught on. He might be a bit quiet at times but Sirius knew that his friend was much smarter than he let on. 

"Agda Dumbledore?" 

"Yes, I am she." The woman in the painting leaned forward so much that Sirius for a moment was afraid that she'd fall out from the frame. "And _who_ might you be?" 

"Remus Lupin and Sirius Black," Moony quickly answered and Sirius sketched a bow to the old woman. "We're here because your... uh... nephew, Albus Dumbledore, invited us to stay here for a few months." 

"Really?" She raised a white eyebrow. "He didn't tell me." 

"I'm sorry, Mrs Dumbledore, I'm sure-" 

"Don't look so concerned, children." Agda Dumbledore smiled suddenly and with blue eyes glittering with warmth instead of cold curiosity it was easy to see the resemblance to Hogwarts' Headmaster. "I know who are you, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, and you're very welcome to my home. I hope you'll like it here." 

"Thank you," Sirius said, offering the portrait his best 'school-boy' smile. "We're honored to make your acquaintance, Mrs Dumbledore." 

The portrait laughed heartily. 

"Albus sends me such polite young men. So, tell me, Sirius... may I call you Sirius and Remus?" As the two of them nodded, she continued; "Thank you. You two will call me Aunt Agda. Everybody does. Now tell me, Remus, how long are you and your friend going to stay here?" 

"We're not quite sure," Moony answered in his place. "A month or two. Maybe more. It's just gonna be me and Sirius the first week. Then Sna- Severus will be joining us." 

"Severus?" The old lady suddenly sounded very interested. "Severus Snape?" 

"You know him?" 

Sirius couldn't keep the surprise from showing. 

"Of course I know him. I'm dead -- not senile." She frowned at them a little sternly. "He's been here before. Twice. The first time was almost twenty years ago and the last time... six years ago come November. Poor dear, he didn't look well at all." 

"He never does," Sirius muttered under his breath, pouting a little as Moony shoved a bony elbow into his ribs. 

"What did you say, Sirius?" Aunt Agda looked at him kindly. 

"He said that Severus probably won't be doing so well when he comes by this time either. He's being sent here to recuperate. Just like me and Sirius." 

"The two of you do look like you're in need of some fresh air, uninterrupted sleep and good food." Her eyes twinkled a little. "Provided that one of you can cook you will have no problems finding any of those things here at my cottage." 

Taking a good look out the window and seeing only trees Sirius had to agree with the fresh air part. Good food... well, Remus was a decent cook and to tell the truth he wasn't very picky. (When you had spent years on the run, surviving on scraps of food from dumpsters and rats, you seldom were.) But uninterrupted sleep? 

He snorted. 

That wasn't very likely to happen any time soon. 

** Remus Lupin. **

Aunt Agda happily told them where to find linens and how to write a shopping list for the magical larder. She also entertained them with small anecdotes about Albus from when he'd been a little boy. (Albus Dumbledore as a small child looked, in Remus mind at least, very much like a miniature man with a long, white beard.) 

As chatty and helpful as she was, she wouldn't tell them a word about Severus or his two previous visits at the cottage. The old lady was, apparently, both fond and protective of the Slytherin. Remus smiled broadly at the memory of Sirius spitting out tea all over the table as she'd told them how adorable she found 'dear Severus'. 

He wasn't quite sure what it was about the cottage (although he was pretty sure it had a lot to do with the portrait of Aunt Agda and all the little trinkets that were laying around) but it made him feel more relaxed and at peace than he had been for... a long time. 

Curled up in a huge, comfortable armchair the werewolf was enjoying a thick book with Muggle stories. Padfoot was resting by the fire and seemed to enjoy the change in surroundings. 

Remus smiled a little; maybe this was what Sirius needed? 

When Harry had approached him with his 'proposition' his first response had been to say no, but the look on the boy's face (hope mixed with the kind of worry that had no business haunting such a young man) had made him think it over twice. Both he and Sirius needed some time away from the wizarding world to 'find themselves' or whatever cliched phrase you wanted to use. 

Granted, living with Severus wouldn't be easy but, at least according to the Headmaster, Severus needed to get away from it all as much as Sirius and himself. Maybe... He shook his head, unsure himself of what he was hoping for. 

They surely wouldn't leave the cottage as friends but maybe in the future the Wolfsbane Potion would be delivered to him along with a pleasant note instead of yet another variation of _'don't forget to drink it before full moon this time, you disgusting, murdering beast!'_

With a small snort of self-disgust mixed with amusement Remus buried himself in the books again, finding pleasure in the escape into a world where his kind were mere fairy tales. 

"Goodnight then, gentlemen," Aunt Agda said sometime later. "I'll see the two of you tomorrow. Pleasant dreams." 

A bit disoriented Remus looked up from the book just in time to give her a small smile before she disappeared from the painting. 

"Nice lady, don't you think?" 

A bark confirmed that Sirius agreed with him. 

"Ready for bed?" 

He was given a quick lick before the dog trotted off towards the master bedroom they had decided to share, leaving the smaller room to Snape when he arrived. Something that, according to Dumbledore, would happen in a week or so. Apparently, the Potions Master had some potions to finish before he left Hogwarts. (Obviously just an excuse not to have spend time with them but well, Remus couldn't really blame him for that. As hard as he and Sirius found it to get along with Severus, Severus probably found it ten times harder.) 

A soft bark brought him back to the present and Remus stared after his friend and sighed, thinking that at least when Severus arrived he'd have someone to talk to that was guaranteed to use human speech. 

Chuckling sadly he closed the door to the lounge behind him. 

--- 

**Fireblade K'Chona**: I'm glad that you like. And yes, there will most certainly be more. 

**Lilith:** Do you want to know how many times I've re-read your feedback? LOL :) You're really bad for my ego! And yes, we have two forms of you. (Du och Ni) Although it's very rarely used nowadays. We're all on a first-name basis here now. If Snape was teaching here in Sweden, his students would call him Severus! :) 

**Arafel2:** Thank you! I'll be updating again in a week or so. I hope. If my beta-readers don't desert me! :) 

**frediei:** Thank you! :) I plan to finish this, believe me! And as for nothing too bad happening to Snape -- well, that really depends on how you define bad :D 

**Anzie: **Thanks! I was rather proud of that sentence myself! :) 

**Aku Maru:** Yes, Snape did indeed pick the wrong wizard(s) to affiliate himself with. First Voldemort, then Dumbledore. In his current mood I'm not sure which one Snape regrets affiliating with more :) 

**kristendotcom:** I'm sorry but no, there won't be any romance in this story. (If you don't count that lewd comment Dumbledore made about McGonagall! :)) I don't really read/write romance and it's not like there's a canon pairing for any of them either. Although -- now that I think about it -- there might be a Harry/girl(s) comment or two thrown in at some time by the end of the fic. But then we're talking about a sentence or two, for example Sirius proudly saying something like: "I spoke to Harry last night. He said he was going on a date today." End of story. 

**BurningTyger**: Escapades, yes. There will be handful of those. But this won't be a 24/7 prank-fest though. None of our reluctant heroes are really in the mood for it and even if they were this particulary author has never been very good at writing anything besides angst ;) 

--- 

_The next Chapter will up this Sunday, cross my heart etc. And it's Snape-centric. _

And just because it needs to be said again: **Thank you**, R. Rowlands and Amaroq Collins for the wonderful job you've done. You've both caught some horribly embarrassing mistakes and for that I will be eternally grateful. The best betas ever -- and they're all mine! My preciousss... ops. Wrong fandom ;) 


	5. In Which We Experience The Calm Before T...

_Story info and disclaimer in Chapter One_

**Chapter IV: _In Which We Experience The 'Calm' Before The Storm_ **

Remus Lupin. 

They spent the first week at Dumbledore's Aunt's cottage in something akin to peaceful bliss. 

Remus enjoyed the solitude and the soothing sounds of the forest. Sirius, as had become his habit ever since he returned to them from the Veil, spent most of his time as Padfoot, stretching his legs on the open land, chasing small rodents and other furry little animals. 

Severus Snape had yet to arrive. 

Which, of course, explained the peaceful bliss, Remus mused with a small chuckle. He was determined to enjoy it while it lasted. Experience told him that as soon as the Slytherin arrived he'd spend most of his time acting as a buffer between him and Sirius. 

He'd made perfectly clear to both Sirius and Dumbledore though that he was quite prepared to lock the two men into the small cellar of the cottage until they both promised to behave like... well, maybe adults were too much to ask for but he was hoping for at least 'well-behaved toddlers'. Or, so help him Merlin, they could stay in the cellar until they died of starvation. Which, considering Sirius' and Severus' states of malnourishment, probably wouldn't take too long. 

A shower of cold water quickly woke him from his morbid daydreaming and he growled loudly as he threw himself after his fast-footed friend with an 'aqua impeto' on his lips. 

*** 

When the two men returned to the cottage two hours later they were both wet, muddy and Sirius legs were still a bit wobbly after having been hexed with Jelly Legs at two different occasions. They couldn't agree which one of them was the winner of their spontaneous duel but Remus went to sleep with a small smile on his lips thinking that they had both benefited from having some real fun. 

That night he dreamt about a Gryffindor versus Slytherin waterfight with he, Sirius, James, Peter, McGonagall and Harry in one team and Snape, Crabbe, Goyle, Malfoy, Rosier and Voldemort in the other. By the end of the dream Snape and Peter had changed houses though and Peter was wearing Slytherin green while Severus was sporting Gryffindor red. 

He woke up feeling very strange indeed. Staring up at the ceiling he realised that there were only two days left before Snape would join him and Sirius. He gave the dog that slept in the foot-end of the huge bed a weary look. Sirius, or Padfoot as he usually thought of his friend as while the man was using his Animagus form, wasn't going to make things easy and neither was Sna... Severus. 

Padfoot kicked out with a paw and whined softly in his sleep. Sitting up slowly so not to wake the dog, Remus patted the sleeping animal. Not even as a dog did Sirius seem to be fully protected against the nightmares that haunted his sleep. Remus wasn't quite sure what his friend dreamt of but he could easily imagine how the cruel Dementors, the cold, hopeless feeling of Azkaban and the grey dullness of the Veil mixed together would become a frightening landscape of horror. 

"Schh," he whispered, pleased when the whimpering sounds slowly came to a halt. After a few minutes he curled up under the covers again, convinced that the nightmares were over for now. 

Sirius wouldn't remember what had happened and with a little luck he'd forget about the sad whimpers himself by morning. 

Turning around and burying his head in his pillows he tried to convince himself that his dream would turn out to be some weird kind of prediction which meant that the three of them would get along just fine. 

Of course, he thought seconds before sleep claimed him, he had barely passed Divination. 

** Albus Dumbledore.**

He hadn't really planned on supervising Severus while the other man packed his bags, but a short note from Remus about the Wolfsbane Potion made him realise that he had better keep an eye on what the Potions Master brought with him to the cottage. He wasn't, after all, sending the three young men away just to have Severus poison them all in a fit of anger, he thought to himself with a small, almost sad smile. 

Sitting in one of the two rather uncomfortable leather chairs that were placed in front of the fireplace inside Severus' personal rooms he watched the tall, dark-clad man carefully fold what seemed to be an endless number of black robes before shrinking them to fit the small bag placed in the middle of the floor. 

The silence in the room was not of the comfortable sort and Dumbledore felt a bit sad about that knowing that his Potions Master was more than a little bit upset with him. It couldn't be helped though and as long as the man stayed alive their friendship was a small price to pay. Not that he really thought that would happen; he liked to at least imagine that their strange relationship meant as much to Severus as it did to him. 

"Are you taking any books with you?" 

"No," came the rather unexpected answer. 

"Really?" Albus tried to have a look at his friend's eyes but the curtain of unwashed hair made it bloody near impossible. Severus hid behind his hair as most people hid behind stone walls. He wondered, briefly, if the young man had done the same as a student. After searching his memory he found a picture of Severus sitting in his office as a young student. It convinced him that he had indeed. "Why not?" 

"I've already read, re-read and memorised most of them," the Potions Master explained tiredly. "And if memory serve correctly you have books in the cottage?" 

"Of course," he assured his friend. "Mostly fiction though." 

Severus made a small face at that but, as had become his habit the past few weeks, he refrained from actually commenting. Albus tried to imagine Severus reading a Muggle love novel and felt the edges of his mouth try to turn upwards. Another look at the exhausted, sick-looking man in front of him quelled any urges to smile though and he sighed a little instead. 

"What are you planning on doing then?" Albus pried gently, desperately wanting Severus to have plans for the future even if it was just to make the lives of poor Remus and Sirius miserable. 

"I thought the plan was that I would be relaxing?" 

"Of course." There was a short pause before Albus continued, "Do you plan to bring material to make potions?" 

"No." Severus glared at him with an ugly frown on his face. "And if you're worrying about your precious Gryffindor werewolf I can assure you that I have made sure that he will have what he needs every full moon. Believe me, sir, I have no wish to come face to face with a werewolf ever again." 

That was his Severus, Albus thought with a small grimace, going for maximum damage when hurt. The man had always reminded him of a cornered animal, although he doubted the Potions Master would appreciated the comparison. 

"You're not packing any potions for... personal use?" 

"What business of yours is that?" 

Hot, angry eyes met his, challenging him. He took the challenge calmly and in the end black eyes turned away. 

"My apologies, sir," Severus said stiffly before returning to his packing with jerking, ungraceful movements. 

Albus concealed his smile behind his hand. It wasn't often that Severus apologised for _anything_. 

After a quarter of an hour of silence -- not quite as uncomfortable as before, though, now that words had actually been exchanged for the first time in days -- the younger man marched off to his private lab just to return after hardly more than a few minutes with a dark wooden box that he, without a word of explanation, dropped in Albus' lap. 

When he carefully opened the box he found several small vials and bottles carefully stored in different compartments. They were all labeled and he quickly realised what Severus expected him to do. Picking them up, one by one, he read the familiar, slightly angular script on the labels. 

'Sleeping Draught', 'Pain-Stiller Potion; Strength Two', 'Pain-Stiller Potion; Strength Three', 'Dreamless Sleep Draught'... Nothing forbidden, nothing that if taken in the correct dosages was harmful. (Although the reasons for why Severus would have a need for such strong pain stillers made Albus even more heavy-hearted.) 

He looked up at his friend who was standing over him, scowling darkly. 

"Well..." Severus snapped. "Do they all get approved?" 

The young man, not even forty after all, sounded so angry that something in Albus flared. 

"I'm just worried about you," he said in an unusually sharp voice. "Surely you cannot fault me for that?" 

"Hmmm," was the only answer Severus would offer him, but Albus supposed he would have to do with that. He couldn't really expect the Potions Master to apologise twice on the same night. 

*** 

"I'm keeping you from getting some well-needed, much-deserved sleep," Albus mumbled half an hour later. 

After having finished his packing the Potions Master had joined Albus by the fire and the two friends had shared a quiet moment just 'enjoying' each other's company. Or rather, Albus openly enjoyed Severu's company while the younger man scowled darkly at the fire; the only evidence that he wanted his friend there being the fact that he had yet to kick him out. 

Them spending time together was, unfortunatly, not something that happened very often but Albus always enjoyed it when his young friend was in the mood for it. Although this time he couldn't help but wonder why now. Just a few days ago Severus had been too angry to speak with him and everyone knew that the Slytherin wasn't the 'forgive and forget' sort of man. 

And as pleasant as the change was it worried him very much that the Potions Master was acting so very out of character. 

As Severus didn't answer, Albus continued: 

"As amusing as it must be to listen to the rantings and ramblings of a foolish old man you have many other, more important things on your mind. Undoubtedly you will need some sleep if you are to keep up with Remus and Sirius tomorrow." 

Severus nodded his agreement but didn't grab the opportunity to complain about the two Gryffindors or to even send him away which just added to Albus' worries. He gave his friend a searching look. Severus looked just as he had the past couple of years, only maybe a bit paler and thinner. And maybe a bit more tired than usual too. 

Not for the first time Albus wished there had been a another option to teaching Severus the art of Occlumency. The young wizard had been hard enough to read without those skills. 

"Do I have something on my face?" 

The object of his intense scrutiny gave him an irritated look and Albus shook his head before casually asking; 

"Are you having trouble sleeping?" 

He knew that the young man was an insomniac and rather prone to nightmares when he actually got some sleep but, as he'd seen evidence of earlier, the man had a rather large collection of sleeping aids. 

"Aren't I always?" 

There was no self-pity in the words, just calm acceptance and Albus nodded. 

"But your potions...?" 

"They are working just fine. However the stronger sleeping aids all tend to be either addictive or their effects lessen with daily use and you end having to drink enormous amounts of the potion for it to work properly." 

"Ah... no point in falling asleep just to wake up a few minutes later in desperate need of the lavatory, huh?" 

A small shadow of a smile graced the otherwise so grim face and Albus smiled back broadly. 

"Exactly." 

"So you haven't been taking any potions? For how long?" 

"Two weeks tomorrow. I'll need to stay off them for yet another two weeks." Severus sighed and Albus could see the self-disgust in his eyes. "I've always tried to follow a certain schedule but, well... I don't need to tell you how hectic the past few months have been. I'm afraid I allowed myself to... indulge." 

His students might find it a bit hard to believe but Albus knew that as hard as Severus was on other people he was even harder on himself. The Potions Master hated mistakes and cock ups, _especially_ if he was responsible for them himself. 

"I don't think anyone would blame you for that," he told his friend in his most convincing, soothing voice even though he was sure that his friend wouldn't believe him. "Considering the circumstances it is most understandable that you would... slip." 

There was a long pause as Severus refused to answer. 

"So it's been two weeks since you last got to enjoy the benefits of a good night's sleep?" Albus said after a few moments. "And two more before you can take any sleeping aids again?" 

"A good night's sleep?" Severus smiled thinly. "That was so much more than two weeks ago. Actually I was probably still sleeping surrounded with plush animals when _that_ happened last." 

Now that, Albus thought while allowing a small smile to escape, was a picture that was equally sweet as it was highly disturbing. He had to force himself not to ask just what sort of 'plush animals' the stern man had owned as a child and which one had been the 'can not be parted from, absolutely necessary if to be able to fall asleep' toy. 

Predicting Severus' reaction should he ever ask, he quickly pushed those thoughts out of his mind. He then gave his Potion Master yet another searching look before making up his mind. 

"Very well then," Albus said and rose from the chair, determination making him stand taller than usual. Severus gazed up at him with an eyebrow quizzically raised. "Come with me, please." 

"Excuse me?" 

"I said, come with me." He quickly marched off to the door before turning around, motioning for Severus to join him. "You're but a human being, young man, and you need your sleep just as much as the rest of us mortals. Since you're obviously unable to get it on a natural way and potions aren't an option right now I suppose I will have to make sure you get it myself." 

"What are you talking about, Albus?" 

"You'll see," Albus promised. 

--- 

**Arafel2, Eizoku, padfoots-one-and-ONLY, me, lillinfields,** and **lovgoo**: Wow, thank you :) I don't think I've ever woken up to find so many alerts from fanfiction.net in my mailbox. You all made my day, that's for sure. 

**sna:** I'm glad you like her :) I was a bit worried that she'd be too much like a female version of Dumbledore but I think me and my betas have made sure that she'll end up being a character in her own right.

**tall oaks:** Love the detailed feedback! And I'm glad you've picked up on the tension between Sirius and Remus. I've tried not to make it too obvious because... well, hm. Better not spoil my own story :) And btw, thanks for the feedback you've given at fictionalley.org!

**Athena Keating-Thomas:** You're quite right, you know. (About the schizophrenia vs. MPD) I'll have to change that asap. Thank you for taking the time to point it out! And, of course, for the rest of your feedback :) 

**Jemma Blackwell:** The question was: how long will it take before Remus says, "talk to me Sirius"? Uhm... as it looks right now, a few chapters after chapter sixteen. I have to build up the tension/angst first! ;)

**Lilith11**: Hehe, yes, I agree with you on that one :) I hope you liked this chapter as much as -- or preferably more than -- the other ones :D

If I've forgotten anyone: my apologizes.

_Next chapter should be up in about a week. It's a Snape-centered interlude. Angsty and awkward. You'll either love it or hate it :)_


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